- Spinjumping is a bit hard- The minimap doesn't actually track your progress in any way, it just shows where you are- You don't get to play Pogs with Kraid

Impressions

Gameplay8 / 10

The game plays almost exactly like Metroid (NES). Whether or not that's a good thing depends on you. There are a few new bosses. None of them are very hard, but they're still neat to have around.

You get to explore Ridley's and Kraid's quarters, and finding Kraid's Pog collection is one of the most rewarding gameplay features in recent history (and the game was made almost a decade ago!).

Graphics8 / 10

Most of the graphics are from Metroid, and the ones that aren't look nice and fit in well.

Kraid's Pog collection is especially beautiful.

Sound8 / 10

The music and sounds are mostly (entirely?) from Metroid, so there isn't much to say about them. The Ice Beam sound gets a bit annoying at times, but that's about it.

I almost docked a point because Kraid's Pog collection didn't make a sound, but I suppose that's accurate to real life, so I'll give it a free pass.

Replay8 / 10

There are obviously missile and health upgrades (it's a Metroid game, after all), and collecting all of them grants you access to JUSTIN BAILEY Mode (whatever that is), so there's definitely replay value here. The game is short enough that another playthrough doesn't feel like a chore.

Plus, every time you replay the game, you get to see Kraid's Pog collection again. What's not to like?

Final Words

Metroid Zero doesn't break much new ground, but it doesn't need to, because it has Kraid's Pog collection in it.